Doctrine of the Trinity Explained by Michael Bradley

 

The Doctrine of the Trinity - One God in Three Persons

ne of the main fundamental key truths in Christianity is the belief in the doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the doctrine of the Trinity states that there is: One God in three Persons

It is not three Gods in one God - it is one God in three Persons.
The Bible specifically states over and over again that there is only one God. This is why you technically can't say that there are three Gods in one God.

However, as you will see in the Scripture verses I will list below, all three Persons of the Godhead are God and Lord Themselves. God the Father is the first Person of the Trinity, His Son Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.

So if all Three of Them are really God and Lord Themselves - then why doesn't God the Father tell us in His Word that we are dealing with three Gods? Why does He keep saying that there is only one God - when in actuality there really are three Gods, since both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God and Lord Themselves?

There is no question that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three separate, complete and individual Persons with their own individual unique identities. So why does God the Father keep stating that there is only one God in Scripture? This is one of the mysteries of the Trinity that many people have a hard time with.

Here is what I believe may be a possible answer to this question. From Scripture, we know that there are only three classes of beings. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one class in that the Three of Them are all God and Lord Themselves. As such, all Three of Them are absolutely perfect in Their actual natures and personalities. As you will see in one of the Scripture verses I will list below, the Bible tells us that there is no darkness in God. In other words, He has no dark side - no flesh.

This means that God is totally incapable of doing anything evil or bad. He is totally and completely perfectly good in His actual nature and personality. However, the same thing cannot be said of the other two classes of beings that God has created.

The second class of beings that God has created are the angels. The fact that Satan and one third of the angels rebelled against God and were thus thrown out of heaven - all show that angels have the capacity and the ability to malfunction to the dark side.

If they did not have this ability and capacity, then Satan and one third of the angels would have never rebelled against God the Father in the first place. This one fact alone tells us that angels are not perfect like God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are. They thus cannot be considered gods in any way, shape or form.

The third class of beings God has created is the human race. The Bible specifically states that all men and all women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of God. This is why Jesus had to come down to die for all of our sins, flaws and imperfections. The Bible says that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and makes no exceptions. In other words - all humans are imperfect just like all of the angels are.

This now leads us to one simple conclusion. Since all humans and all angels are imperfect - this now means that no angels and no humans can ever be considered to be gods themselves - no matter how much Satan would still like to believe that, and no matter how many New Age gurus would like to try and tell you otherwise with their false teachings that we are all little gods ourselves.

Now here is why I believe that God the Father has the Trinity set up under the statement of "One God in three Persons."

Since God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all God and Lord Themselves - this means that all Three of Them are totally perfect in Their actual personalities and natures. And if They are totally perfect in Their personalities - then this now means They are totally capable of being perfectly one with one another.

As you will in several of the Scripture verses below - Jesus keeps repeating the statement that He and His Father "are one." In other words, They are perfectly one with one another, They are in perfect harmony with one another, They are in perfect agreement with one another, They are in perfect unison with one another.

Since the Two of Them are both God and Lord Themselves - then this now means this union between the Two of them is a perfect divine union. This perfect divine union of oneness between the Two of Them is so perfect, that God the Father can now say that there is only one God - not 3 separate Gods.

The same thing goes for the Holy Spirit. As you will see in a Scripture verse I will list below, this verse also says that the Holy Spirit is perfectly "one" with both God and Jesus. And since the Bible specifically tells us that the Holy Spirit is God and Lord Himself - then this now means His personal union with both God and Jesus is a perfect divine union - and as such - He too can be included as being part of the Godhead - where God the Father can now state that there is only one God, but one God in three separate perfect Persons within the actual Godhead itself.

Since all angels and all humans are imperfect, then that means we are all incapable of establishing any type of perfect divine God-union with either God Himself or with any other human. Only God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have the ability to establish a perfect divine union with either Themselves or with one of us or one of Their angels.

I believe that this "perfect divine oneness," this "perfect divine union" between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is so "God-perfect" - that God the Father can now state that there is only one true God - but one God in three separate, unique and individual Persons.

1. One God in Three Persons

There is one big, whopper mammoth verse that you can literally base the entire doctrine of the Trinity on. Here it is:

"For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7)

As you will see in a verse I will list below, the Word is Jesus. This verse is now telling us that God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are "one." This verse is telling us that we are specifically dealing with a God Trinity involving three separate Persons - but with all Three of these Persons being "perfectly one" with one another!

In the 3 captions I will list below, I will give you some of the main verses from Scripture that will specifically tell us that God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are all God and Lord Themselves.

And if They are all God and Lord Themselves, and above verse is telling us that They are perfectly one with one another - then the Bible has just given us perfect proof that we are now dealing with a Holy Divine Trinity of one God in three Persons.

It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Once you have all of the puzzle pieces put together and put right next to one another - it then becomes quite easy to see what God is trying to tell us with some of this deeper revelation!

I believe that the above verse is one of the major foundational verses in which to base the doctrine of the Trinity on since it is specifically telling us that all three Persons of the Godhead are "perfectly one" with one another.

2. God the Father is God and Lord Himself

In order to complete the above verse, we now have to show that both God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all God and Lord Themselves. In this caption, I will give you 10 major power verses all showing that not only is God the Father God and Lord Himself - but that there are no other gods in the entire scheme of things than can even begin to sit next to Him.

The actual wording in some of these verses are very intense in the way they are stating that there is only one God and that there are no other gods anywhere else that can compete with Him for this title. Here are 10 major power verses all showing us that God the Father is God and Lord Himself and that there are no other beings or entities that can even begin compete with Him for this title.

1. "... yet for us there is only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:6)
   
   
2. "But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King ... thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens." He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion ... For He is the maker of all things." (Jeremiah 10:10-16)
   
   
3. "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God ... Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.' " (Isaiah 44: 6,8)
   
   
4. "To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him ... that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:35-39)
   
   
5. "Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior ... Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" (Isaiah 43:10-13)
   
   
6. "For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,' ... (Isaiah 46:9)
   
   
7. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:22)
   
   
8. "I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things ... I have made the earth, and created man on it." (Isaiah 45:5-12)
   
   
9. "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols." (Psalm 96:4)
   
   
10. "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

All of the above verses are very profound and powerful verses all showing us, without any other possible interpretation, that there is only one God - God the Father - and that there are no other gods that can compete or sit beside Him as His equal.

All other false gods being worshipped by all of the other false religions of this earth are nothing more than false idols according to Psalm 96:4 - and they will all eventually be completely taken out from this earth when Jesus comes back to us in His second coming to set up His Millennium Kingdom from the city of Jerusalem.

Also notice in the very last verse where it specifically says that there is no darkness in God - that He is all light and all goodness!

3. Jesus Christ is God and Lord Himself

All of the above verses are definitely establishing that God the Father is God and Lord Himself. Now here are 18 major power verses all showing that Jesus Christ is also God and Lord Himself.

Notice in the very first verse that it says that the Word - which is Jesus - was with God from the very beginning of all things and that He too is God Almighty Himself! The third verse says that a virgin will bring Jesus into our world and His name shall be called Immanuel - which means that "God is with us."

1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1)
    
2. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
    
3. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
    
4. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
    
5. "... looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ..." (Titus 2:13)
    
6. "To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:1)
    
7. "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)
    
8. "... no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)
    
9. "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, and that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
    
10. Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27)
     
11. "... Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:6)
     
12. "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:9)
     
13. "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves." (John 14:10)
     
14. "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)
     
15. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." (Revelation 22:13)
     
16. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
     
17. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
     
18. Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58)

All of the above verses are definitely telling us, without any other possible interpretation or spin that you can put on them - that Jesus Christ is God and Lord Almighty Himself and that He is truly the second Person of the triune Godhead!

The last verse, where Jesus says before Abraham was, He says "I AM." The words "I AM" are present tense - which means that Jesus has always been - He was never created or had any type of origination point like all humans and all angels have. Only God can be eternal and that one statement, all by itself, shows that Jesus Christ is eternal just like His Father is. This makes both Him and God the Father co-eternal in the Godhead itself.

The two verses from Revelation 1:8 and 22:13 are stating that Jesus is the First and the Last, just like the one verse above on God the Father. They are both the First and the Last, which makes both of Them God and Lord.

When the apostle Thomas says to Jesus in the above verse - "My Lord and my God" - Jesus does not correct him, but accepts the statement that he is making to Him, once again proving that Jesus is God and Lord Himself.

All of the above verses are major key power verses all showing us that Jesus Christ is truly God and Lord Himself - and as such - is truly the second Person of the triune Godhead.

4. The Holy Spirit is God and Lord Himself

To complete the doctrine of the Trinity, we now have to show and prove from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is also God and Lord Himself. The following verses will do this for you. Here they are:

1. "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
   
   
2. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ... You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:3-4)
   
   
3. "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there." (Psalm 139:7)
   
   
4. "... how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God ..." (Hebrews 9:14)
   
   
5. "... no one know the things of God except the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:11)

The very first verse specifically tells us that the Holy Spirit is Lord Himself. The next verse then tells us that the Holy Spirit is God Himself when Peter is telling Ananias that he has lied to God when he had just lied to the Holy Spirit!

These two verses, when you put them right next to one another, are literally telling us that the Holy Spirit is both God and Lord Himself - just like God the Father and Jesus Christ are both God and Lord Themselves. This now perfectly completes the Trinity - showing that we are now dealing with one God, but one God in three separate and distinct Persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The third verse above on the Holy Spirit is showing that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, which means that He is everywhere at all times. Only God has this kind of ability. This is just one more piece of Scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit has the attributes and abilities of God Himself and as such, has to be God and Lord Himself.

The verse from Hebrews 9:14 says that the Holy Spirit is eternal, which means that He is just like God and Jesus on this issue. He has never been created and has always been and always was. Again, only God can be eternal with no creation or origination point like all humans and all angels have.

The last verse, where it says that no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God, is giving us another major clue that the Holy Spirit has to be God Himself in order to have this ability to be able know the things of God the Father.

No human and no angel has the perfect ability to know all of the things of God. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit have this capability within the Godhead itself. The Bible says that all humans will only "know in part" with what knowledge we can acquire from God.

The above 5 verses on the Holy Spirit are definitely showing us that He is also God and Lord Himself, and that He has all of the God-attributes and God-abilities of God and Jesus in the Godhead itself.

Conclusion

If you truly believe that all of the Bible has come to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit, then all of the above verses, especially when you group all of them together, are all showing us that our God is one God in three Persons - with God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit being the three distinct Persons of this triune Godhead - and with all three Persons of this Godhead being co-equal and co-eternal.

The first set of verses about God the Father are also telling us that there are no other gods anywhere else - either in heaven above or on this earth - and that all of the other so called gods being worshiped by the other false religious systems of this world are nothing but false idols before God the Father and will eventually be completely done away with.

Once again, God the Father has given us some incredible revelation about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit with the knowledge that is contained in these specific verses from Scripture.

**********************************************

Michael Bradley
Bible Teaching, Knowledge, Commentary and Over 150 Free Articles
Copyright © 2005-2008 by Michael Bradley.